Question: Where Can I Get Some Shaved Ice?

In addition to the John Tesar review, the NYT writes today about shaved ice—that popular summertime Asian treat—and all its latest gourmet variations. Think flavors like Earl Grey, green tea, and espresso with condensed milk which sets by coffee-loving pants afire. I know you can get great sno-cones in Dallas. (Hi, Aunt Stella’s in Oak Cliff!) But where can you find shaved ice? And does anyone do fancy flavors?

16 comments on “Question: Where Can I Get Some Shaved Ice?”

I don’t know of any shaved ice outposts in Dallas, but I do know of an Italian Ice operation in Royse City. It’s called Lone Star Italian Ice and is owned by a family that fell in love with the stuff for a couple of years they spent in Philadelphia.

It’s well worth a try if you haven’t had it, and it puts a Sno-Cone to shame any day. (The basic differences are that the flavoring is acually in the ice and the ice itself is much finer and has an almost ice cream-like texture.)

Look at the ‘Street Food’ piece I wrote for ‘D’ May 2008 that re-ran last month or this online. In addition to Aunt Stelle’s….
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I found, by going further south on Jim Miller to Bruton and going east to the Pleasant Mound/Pleasant Grove/Balch Springs border at 9185 Bruton Road…. the dream of a summer lifetime: Shaved Ice Snow Cones. Here they serve at a walk-up window ‘sno-ice’, truly the consistency of snow, covering Blue Bell scoops, and topped with one of 90 plus high quality syrups. Mine was French vanilla crème. As I told manager Isreal Draguet, it was like an old friend used to say when she’d comment something was so good it made you ‘throw the baby on the sidewalk’. I still don’t know what that meant, but it sounded right when I said it while eating Isreal’s offerings.

The new “Crush” frozen yogurt place near Asia World had shaved ice on the menu I think, I didn’t try any tho. I also think that place near Caravelle that sells ice cream does it, but it’s hard to know since their entire menu minus the bubble tea is in Chinese..

You’ve got the give Tiffany’s suggestion a try. It’s called Rita’s Water Ice. I got by there opening day about a week ago and was blown away. I’ve never had anything like there Italian Ice in Dallas anywhere. I had mango ice with vanilla custard, and it was heaven.